History of the Brentwood College Site

The 1918 Flu pandemic infected approximately 500 million people – or about 1 in 3 of the world's total population at that time. Of those infected, between 20 and 50 million died in the aftermath of the Great War and this horrific disaster, people were understandably concerned that the future of the next generation of the nations children must be assured. The British Columbia Women's Institute reviewed the larger number of recruits who had been rejected for military service and found many were for defects which could have been corrected in childhood. This news gave greater emphasis toward improving public health and public health care.

In the mid-20th century, the Brentwood College  oceanside site served as a temporary home for children battling chronic and long-term illnesses. The Queen Alexandra Solarium for Crippled Children opened in 1927 by Malahat Beach – the first children's health facility in British Columbia. The following information was obtained from the Mill Bay/Malahat Historical Society

Tuberculosis and polio were rampant among children in t he 1920's and there were few supports available for children with complex medical needs. If a child who was afflicted by these diseases, basically there was nothing for them. You just had them at home and you kind of dealt  with them as best you could.

Edith Scott, a stepmother to a ten year old with tuberculosis, played a key role in pushing for change. In 1922 she wrote to the BC Women's Institute pleading for help for Polly, who was discharged from the  hospital to make room for other patients with acute illnesses. Moved to help, Women;s Institute branches across BC began fundraising to build a long-terrn health care facility for children.

The facility opened its doors in 1927, with Polly as one of the first patients. Polly went on to live a long and healthy life.

What was it like for the children?

The Mill Bay Historical Society has conducted interviews with patients who were admitted to the solarium. They revealed both happy and heartbreaking memories. One story was about a

 woman who came to the solarium for treatment for scarlet fever. The women remembered travelling to the facility when she was four years old and immediately being quarantined  for several weeks. She said she could remember  being – in her words – locked in a room and everything taken from her -- all of her clothes, all her toys, all her blankets. They were all burned because the staff feared contamination. Her parents tried to visit once a month, with toys and blankets, but they wound up in other children's hands.

Other patients had positive experiences to share, not just for saving lives, but also for the hospitality Regular activities were held for the children, such as Christmas Concerts and Boy Scout groups. And the beach was a great drawing point.

The Solarium charged $6.00 per week for the child's stay - they rarely turned children away though many families could not afford the fee – through those years, a large portion of the funding came from donations. Another look at the story of the Queen Alexandra Solarium – from a little different perspective, but still a great story of 100 years ago.

Yours for Home and Country.

Ruth Fenner, Provincial Historian, British Columbia Women's Institute